Renowned Maltese author and film director Elio Lombardi has died at the age of 92.Lombardi was born in Sliema in 1933 and developed a passion for singing and acting from a young age, attending the Salesian Oratory as a child.In 1982, he created his first short film, “A Friend in Need”, in order to become a member of the Malta Amateur Cine Circle (MACC). The film won first prize in a competition, and its lead actor, Emanuel Grima, was awarded Best Actor- encouraging Lombardi to continue producing films.One of his films, “Pepita Gomez”, caught the attention of British director Michael Klinger, who offered to collaborate on a film based on a story by Lombardi, although Klinger’s death prevented the project from moving forward.Lombardi wrote most of the stories for his films, except for “Il‑Madonna taċ‑Ċoqqa”, which was written by Ġużè Diacono. In October 1988, Lombardi completed his first full‑length feature film, “Frida.” Over his career he is estimated to have worked on around 200 films.In addition to his work in film, Lombardi was a painter, printer, and musician, and he spent many years doing make‑up for participants in the Good Friday procession in Qormi.In 2020, he was awarded the “Midalja għall‑Qadi tar‑Repubblika” (Medal for Service to the Republic) during the Republic Day ceremony presided over by President George Vella.Lombardi was married to Marija, who passed away in 2018, and together they had four children- Gino, Zep, Aldo and Louiselle as well as several grandchildren and great‑grandchildren.Lovin Malta extends its condolences to Elio’s familyCredit: The People of Malta via Facebook •